Urgent but not important—such as answering the phone. It needs to be done now, but may have no significance.

Urgent and important—such as getting an extra gallon of paint so the crew can finish the job.

Not urgent but important—such as working on systems for our business.

Tasks that are not urgent and not important should generally be avoided, unless they are for purposes of relaxation. They are simply a waste of time.

Tasks that are urgent, but not important can also consume a significant part of our time. Yet they contribute little or nothing to our long-term goals. These should be delegated or outsourced whenever possible.

Tasks that are urgent and important are a major cause of stress. These tasks need to be done now because the failure to do so can create other problems. These tasks should be anticipated and addressed before they become urgent. By anticipating you can deal with them while they are important but not urgent.

Tasks that are important, but not urgent help us build our business. Planning and systems building do not need to be completed today, but these tasks move our business forward. Failing to spend time on such tasks ultimately forces us to deal with more tasks that are urgent and important.

As owners of a small business our goal should be to spend as much time as possible on this last category of tasks. The more we do so, the more efficient and smoother our businesses will operate.

Delegating is one of the easiest methods for “creating” more time. By removing certain responsibilities from your shoulders, you have more time to focus on higher priorities.

Delegating involves much more than simply handing over responsibility. Delegation requires systems and training if it is to be effective.

Many owners fret that others don’t or won’t do things “their” way. They believe that employees should know how to do a task properly, and scratch their heads in dismay when employees don’t. Often, the owner will conclude that if he wants it done right, he’s going to have to do it.

There is often more than one way to accomplish a task. The owner may be correct that his way is the best way, but it is seldom the only way. He can easily fall into the trap of micro-managing if he seeks to control every step of every task.

Micro-managing is incredibly time consuming and it defeats the purpose of delegation. Every business should have procedures—that is, step-by-step instructions for each task. However, employees should also have the flexibility to modify those steps when conditions warrant.

The owner should express the desired results, the preferred method for achieving those results, and then allow the employee to act according to his best judgment. At the same time, the employee should be held accountable for the results. As long as he accomplishes the desired results, the precise steps he takes should be of primary concern to the business owner.

Delegation can be a great tool for time management. However, like any tool it must be used properly.

Small business owners often wear too many “hats”–they try to tackle every responsibility within their business.It can often seem as if the more you work, the less time you have. Delegating is one of the easiest methods for “creating” more time. By removing certain responsibilities from your shoulders, you have more time to focus on higher priorities.

Many owners fret that others don’t or won’t do things “their” way. They believe that employees should know how to do a task properly, and scratch their heads in dismay when employees don’t. Often, the owner will conclude that if he wants it done right, he’s going to have to do it. And he falls into a self-fulfilling cycle, because nobody else learns how to do the task. The owner must do it, because nobody else can.

Delegating involves much more than simply handing over responsibility. Delegation requires systems and training if it is to be effective.

Too often a small business owner will throw a task at an employee, provide little instruction or guidance, and then complain about the results. Not only is this unfair to the employee, it degrades morale and adds to the owner’s stress and frustration.

Systems and procedures overcome these obstacles, providing the employee with clear instructions for completing the task. The employee doesn’t have to guess as to the best way to achieve the desired results. As a simple example, if I instructed you to post an article on this blog, you would have a difficult time doing so. At a minimum you wouldn’t know how to log in. If you are unfamiliar with Blogger, you would have to figure out which links to click, how to edit, etc. But if I provided you with a set of instructions you could likely complete the task with minimal problems.

This is the approach that should be taken for all of the tasks within our business, for then we can begin to effectively delegate. Delegation can be a great tool for time management. However, like any tool it must be used properly.